The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Crosby hungry for playoffs
Penguins have been a post-season flop the last two years
Like it or not, the window for Sidney Crosby to win more Stanley Cups gets a little smaller every year.
The Pittsburgh Penguins captain is now 33 years old and in his 16th NHL season. He's already won the Cup three times but he and longtime teammates like Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang can't play forever so that might be somewhere in the back of their minds when the playoffs open next week.
"We don't really talk about it," Crosby said during a media session on Wednesday. "I think it's enough when you have to prepare and get ready to start. We're excited and we've been fortunate enough to share a lot of playoff games together; important ones. I think you try to cherish every opportunity and make the most of it. Regardless of what the situation is, you just have to take advantage of the opportunities when you get them and we have one so we'll look to do something with it."
It's also no secret the Penguins are coming off playoff flops the past two years. The New York Islanders swept them them in the first round in 2019 and the Montreal Canadiens knocked them out in the play-in round last year.
"To have those two experiences fresh in your mind I think will add some motivation for guys who were part of it," Crosby said. "But it's a new group and we played some good hockey down the stretch so I think we need to bring that and another level when playoffs start."
This year's first-round challenge will be another difficult one. The Penguins again draw the Islanders, who have the second-best defensive record in the league.
On paper, it would appear Pittsburgh is on decent footing after going 6-2 in the regular season against New York. But sometimes statistics can be deceiving and you could just as easily point to how the Penguins won the East Division with a 37-16-3-1 record but the Islanders (32-17-7-3) were only six points back in fourth place.
"Some of the games were pretty tight all the way through and we found a way to get some timely goals," said Crosby, who is eighth in league soring with 62 points in 55 games. "I think it's a team that doesn't give up a lot so you've got to be patient and when you get your chances you've got to capitalize."
Crosby's leadership will be as important as ever this year because of how many new faces are now in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins tinkered with their lineup all year, for a variety of reasons, and 35 different players wore their uniform in the shortened 56game season.
"There's been a lot of injuries and a lot of guys in and out of the lineup but I think when you're thrown into it and given a lot of responsibility, that helps right away to feel comfortable," Crosby said. "As far as off the ice, just the energy and excitement that guys have brought coming to our team, whether they came from other places or came from (Wilkes-barrie of the AHL), whatever their situation was I think they came in and really thrived on the opportunity.
"We're really excited and I think that's contagious. There's been some great energy and enthusiasm all year long, especially given the situation we're in. It wasn't always easy at times so I think that's a credit to them."
And in a roundabout way, getting to audition so many different players helped the Penguins find the right fits and combinations in their lineup.
"I think it's a strength of ours, for sure," Crosby said. "We've got every line that can contribute. And on defence we've got a lot of different pairs that can go out there and do the job, both defensively and offensively. Our goalie depth has shown all year too. I think you don't have success without depth and it becomes even more important come playoff time but I think we're definitely confident in that. It's something that's been a big part of our success so we'll look for that to carry over in the playoffs."
The Penguins also learned this week they can now relax some of their COVID-19 protocols. The players and staff were scheduled to receive their second shot on Saturday, which will make them fully vaccinated by May 23. Passing that milestone means everyone can now move around more freely, which will alleviate some of the mental strain of living so strictly the past several months.
The Penguins have also been given government approval to have crowds of approximately 9,000 by Monday so there will be an actual home-ice advantage for Pittsburgh.
"It'll be good," Crosby said. "I haven't gone through all the different changes that come with that but I know there will be some things that are relaxed a bit. To be honest, it's become so normal and such a part of our day it'll probably be an adjustment not doing some of those things. But it'll definitely be welcomed."